Joe Ledley has questioned if Giorgos Giakoumakis leaving Celtic for a move to the MLS is due to the lifestyle as he expressed his surprise over the switch.
The striker was signed by Ange Postecoglou 18 months ago from VVV-Venlo but is on the verge of leaving the Scottish champions for Atlanta United. He has largely had to play second fiddle, particularly this season, to on form Kyogo Furuhashi but has still managed nine goals. He's been left out of late with his future rumbling on in the background but with his exit pending, the former Hoops star believes he could have left for the EPL or top end Championship south of the border.
Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, the former Celtic midfielder said: "Losing Giakoumakis is a blow in my eyes. You never know what is going on behind the scenes, but I suppose we might find out in the coming days. It’s certainly a surprise to leave one of the biggest clubs in the world for the MLS. I don’t like to see him go because he was a great servant to the club, but football is very strange at the moment. I thought he could have found a club in the Premier League or maybe top end of the Championship.
READ MORE: The Celtic key trait that stands them apart from Rangers and everybody else claims Michael Stewart
"However, he’s decided on America – perhaps for the lifestyle – and I wish him the best of luck."
One man impressing south of the border in his first managerial gig is Scott Brown. He's the man at the helm of Fleetwood Town, with Ledley always certain he would take upa role in the dugout.
He said: "To go straight into management so soon after retiring was a bit of a risk as you often see players take a backroom role first, so credit to him for taking his opportunity.
"I always knew he would go into management because he was such a leader on and off the pitch. He demanded so much of everyone else as well as himself. I’m delighted to see him doing well at Fleetwood, and it will be a learning curve for him. I’m sure he is destined for greater things.
"League One is a very difficult division, so if you can thrive in that environment, then it will only be beneficial for the future. He’s learned from some great managers like Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon, who are different characters."
Another Celtic favourite in Kieran Tierney is struggling for game time at Arsenal. And while he would love nothing more than see him make a return to his boyhood club one day, he hopes for now he will fight it out for his spot in the Gunners' starting XI under Mikel Arteta.
He added: "Everyone I talk to who is into Arsenal always raves about Tierney and says how good he is and what he has done for the club but it’s always difficult when the manager brings someone in for your position. It’s hard to get it back, but from the club’s point of view, it’s great competition.
"Arsenal are doing so well at the moment, so sometimes you’ve just got to bide your time. From a selfish point of view, you need a bit of luck, like an injury to another player so I would say he should fight it out and not think about leaving because he’s learning even more working under Mikel Arteta.
"But I would love to see him back at Celtic one day because he has that fantastic bond with the fans. He’s a massive fan himself, so hopefully, he returns in the future."
READ MORE
- Ange Postecoglou in Daizen Maeda 'menace' tag as Celtic boss hails Greg Taylor and Kyogo Furuhashi
- Joe Hart's four word Celtic send off to Oliver Abildgaard after transfer switch to Hellas Verona
